Chapter 6 Chapter Six

• Lilith’s Pov
• I turned on the bed, my body aching. My head… it was pounding.
• I opened my eyes slowly, and the pain hit me like a truck. “Fuck,” I groaned, clutching my head. It was bad. Really bad.
• I must have drunk too much last night.
• Sitting up, I blinked a few times to focus. The light stung. I reached for the lamp side table and took my usual glass of water. Rose always left it there for me every single morning. I hadn’t even thanked her properly for the kind gesture.
• I drank the water in slow sips, letting it cool my dry throat.
• I’ve been eating my breakfast in my room since I got here. I barely know anything about this house. Just this room… and Killian’s. That’s it.
• I exhaled and leaned back against the headboard. Everything from last night hit me again. The whiskey. The girl. Killian. The crying. The shouting. The way he dragged me out like I was nothing. I probably drank too much. That must be why my head feels like it’s splitting open.
• And then, a knock. Soft but right on time. I glanced at the clock. Rose, again.
• “Good morning, ma’am,” her soft voice came through the door.
• I sighed. “I told you to stop calling me that, Rose. Just call me Lilith.”
• There was a short silence, then a small laugh. “Okay. Lilith. Are you coming down for breakfast, or should I bring it here?”
• I hesitated. My usual answer sat on the tip of my tongue. But I stopped myself. No. I can’t keep hiding in here like a ghost. I have a life. Whatever mess I’m stuck in, I still have my life.
• “I’m coming downstairs,” I said quietly.
• There was a pause. Then I heard Rose’s breath hitch like she’d just won something small but important. “Okay,” she said softly, almost happily.
• I looked at the door and smiled a little, confused by how much that simple answer had brightened her tone.
• Today, I wasn’t going to hide.
• Today, I didn’t want to feel caged.
• “Yeah,” I said, “I’m coming downstairs.”
• I heard her voice brighten. “Okay! I’ll see you there.”
• “Just give me a sec,” I added. “Let me get myself together.”
• “Take your time,” she said.
• She walked away, and I sat there for a moment, staring at the door.
• I quickly stood up from the bed as she left, wobbling a bit as the headache still lingered.
• Dragging myself to the mirror, I stared.
• God, I looked like a madwoman.
• Hair wild, eyes tired, lips pale.
• I let out a small, bitter laugh.
• What a mess.
• Without thinking too much, I pulled off my clothes.
• I wanted to shower the weight off me.
• But then I stopped.
• Right in front of the mirror.
• I looked at myself again—really looked.
• The scar by my neck caught my attention first.
• Ugly, angry, healed but never really gone.
• And then my eyes.
• One grey. One honey.
• It made me look… beautiful, and I hated that.
• I didn’t want beauty from pain.
• I picked up my towel and walked into the bathroom.
• The water was cold and refreshing; it was like a reset.
• After I dried off, I brushed my hair lazily and wore a simple pair of shorts and a tank top.
• I wasn’t going to see Killian anyway…
• So why bother dressing up?
• I stepped out of the room and walked downstairs. It felt strange. I realized this was my first time doing this.
• Ever since I got married… I had never even seen the rest of the house.
• I didn’t know where the dining was.
• So I wandered a bit as I used the opportunity to look around.
• Then I found myself in the kitchen; it was the wrong place.
• But it smelled nice and warm.
• I stepped in fully, just curious to see how it looked.
• “Good morning.”
• I jumped and let out a scream.
• “Oh my God! You scared me!”
• I turned quickly, and It wasn’t Killian.
• It was him, the man from last night.
• Killian’s brother.
• He raised his hands a little. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
• “It’s okay,” I mumbled, trying to calm my heart.
• He looked at me with a slight smile, then said, “I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. I’m Nolan.”
• I opened my mouth to reply, “I’m Li—”
• But he cut me off.
• “I know what your name is.”
• He walked over to the fridge, grabbed something, and then just… left.
• And I stood there, still unsure if I was supposed to breathe easier… or not.
• The moment Nolan left the kitchen, Rose walked in with a small smile on her face.
• “It seems you’re lost,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “That’s why I told you to let me take you around.”
• I didn’t like how right she was.
• “I’m fine,” I said, turning to her. “I’ll find my way around this place. Did you hear me?”
• She raised her hands a little. “Okay, okay.”
• Then, after a pause, she added, “Let me just show you where the dining is, please.”
• I sighed. “Okay.”
• We walked in silence, but my heart wasn’t silent.
• Something in my chest was beating too fast, too loud.
• I didn’t know why I wasn’t scared, or was I?
• Just as I was approaching the dining room, I saw Killian sitting at the dining table, holding a mug in his hand.
• He looked so calm. So collected. Like he didn’t ruin me a few nights ago.
• He took a slow sip from his mug and then looked up.
• Straight at me.
• And suddenly, I felt so aware of myself.
• Of my legs.
• My skin.
• The stupid shorts I wore.
• Why didn’t I wear something longer?
• His eyes stayed on me like they were trying to read something under my skin.
• Then I caught Nolan again, sitting nearby, scrolling through his phone.
• He looked up at me, just briefly, and then went right back to his screen.
• As if I didn’t matter.
• God, I felt like I was going to fall right down.
• Killian didn’t say a word.
• Just kept sipping.
• We reached the table, and Rose quickly set my food.
• Eggs. Toast. Sausages. Coffee.
• A perfect breakfast… but I couldn’t enjoy it because of the awkwardness of the situation.
• I could have stayed in my room!
• I started eating slowly, trying not to think. Trying not to feel their presence, especially his.
• Killian was on his phone.
• He didn’t even acknowledge me.
• I didn’t say good morning either.
• Then his phone rang.
• He answered it like I and waited for a few moments before he replied…
• “Yeah… I’m on my way to the office now,” he said coldly.
• And then he stood up.
• Something in me snapped. I didn’t want to be invisible anymore.
• “Killian…” I called out.
• He paused. Looked at me with those unreadable eyes.
• “Can I ask for a favor?” I asked.
• His eyebrow lifted. “You want to ask for a favor?”
• “Yes,” I nodded. My voice came out smaller than I wanted.
• “What do you want to ask for?” he asked, still standing, still distant.
• I swallowed hard. “You know I’m an artist, right? I want to bring my instruments… my painting equipment. Can I bring them here?”
• He stared at me. Then he smirked. That annoying, cold smirk.
• “I know your plan.”
• My stomach dropped. “What plan?”
• “You’re planning to mess up my whole house with paint.”
• “What?” I blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
• “The answer is no painting,” he said simply.
• And just like that, he walked away.